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Kurseong/Kalimpong, April 10: Two CPM offices were ransacked, allegedly by supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, in the Kurseong and Kalimpong subdivisions today.

One of the incidents took place in Mirik, located 35km from Kurseong town.

“They have ransacked our office at Mirik Bazaar. Tables, chairs, almirahs and windowpanes were smashed and papers and documents strewn all over the premises,” said M.K. Tamang, the zonal committee secretary of the CPM, over the phone from Mirik.

“We are sure that Morcha supporters were behind the attack. We could not go to the police station today since there was no transport because of the bandh. We will file the FIR tomorrow,” added Tamang, who is also a member of the district committee of the CPM.

Tamang said fortunately there was nobody at the party office at that time or they could have been seriously injured.

The Morcha, however, denied involvement in the attack on the office.

“Our supporters brought out a procession in Mirik town today. Some unsocial (sic) elements may have joined the marchers and ransacked the office,” said Ajam Pradhan, the press and publicity secretary of the Morcha in Mirik.

Kurseong subdivisional police officer (SDPO) Rakesh Singh said the CPM office was attacked around 10.30am.

“Some people from within the Morcha procession did the damage. We have identified the culprits and once the FIR is lodged, we will arrest them,” the SDPO said.

In Kalimpong, some unidentified persons ransacked the CPM office at Old Industrial School near Damber Chowk and set furniture and papers on fire. The blaze also damaged a part of the wooden ceiling of the two-storied house.

A huge poster of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara on the wall, however, remained almost unscathed.

Tara Sundas, a member of the local secretariat of the CPM, has lodged an FIR with the Kalimpong police station.

“Whoever did this is mad. The papers that were destroyed mostly belonged to poor people who had applied to the party for loan waivers, jobs and things like that,” Sundas said.

The CPM’s labour wing, the Citu, shares the same office space at Old Industrial School.

Kalimpong police said they have begun an investigation, but did not rule out the possibility of Morcha supporters being involved in the incident.